New Report Documents Massive Growth in Whale Watching

The global whale watching industry has experienced massive growth over the past decade, a report released today by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reveals.

The new report, ‘Whale Watching Worldwide’ comes as more than 80 countries
debate the future of whaling and whale conservation at the 61st annual meeting
of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Madeira, Portugal.

The new, country-by-country economic analysis shows more than 13 million
people took whale watching tours last year in 119 countries worldwide,
generating ticket fees and tourism expenditures of more than US$2.1 billion
during 2008 (around £1.27bn). The report also reveals dramatic
growth of the whale watching industry in Asia, the Pacific, South America, the
Caribbean and Europe significantly outpacing global tourism growth rates over
the past decade.

More than 3,000 whale watching operations around the world now employ an
estimated 13,200 people.

Australian Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, welcomed the new
report which Australia is formally introducing to government delegations
attending the Madeira IWC meeting. “I commend IFAW for producing this very
timely report. At a time when our global economy, our planet’s great whales and
international whale conservation efforts are all under threat, it is encouraging
to see coastal communities across Australia, the Asia Pacific region and
worldwide reaping massive benefits from the dynamic growth of this form of
ecotourism.”

He added: “The bottom line is clear. Whales are worth much more alive than
dead. Responsible whale watching is the most sustainable,
environmentally-friendly and economically beneficial ‘use’ of whales in the 21st
Century.”

Patrick Ramage, IFAW Whale Programme Director, said: “While governments
debate what to do about whales, their citizens are pointing the way. We should
be conserving whales in 2009 and shooting them with cameras, not compromising
conservation measures and expanding commercial whaling.

“Animals, people and the global economy all do better when whales are seen
and not hurt.”

IFAW opposes whaling because it is cruel and unnecessary, and promotes
responsible whale watching as the humane and sustainable alternative.

International research, data collection and analysis for the IFAW report were
conducted over the past 18 months by Economists at Large and Associates of
Melbourne, Australia.